Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for governor in California, said on Wednesday that it was absurd how low-polling candidates had their gubernatorial debate canceled because all qualifying candidates were white.
The University of Southern California canceled the gubernatorial debate less than 24 hours before its scheduled start Tuesday after candidates who failed to qualify complained about the lack of diversity on stage.
” She’s fighting to be heard, but no one’s listening,” Hilton said on a Wednesday evening broadcast, referring to Betty Yee, one of the candidates who complained about being excluded.
“She’s at about 1 or 2%,” Hilton added. “The reason these low-polling Democrats — the ‘LPDs’ as I call them — were excluded has nothing to do with race.”
“It’s because they’re not doing well enough in the race,” he said. “They’re not getting anywhere, they’re not raising money, and they’re not getting any support.”
Hilton claimed the excluded candidates wanted rules broken for them on the basis of political correctness.
He stated that he learned about the situation Tuesday morning at 6 a.m. while traveling to Los Angeles.
“The really serious part is that the final thing that caused it to be canceled was these whining ‘LPDs’ — the low polling Democrats — getting their allies in the California Legislature, including the leaders of the Democrats in the state Assembly and Senate, to write to USC demanding they be included,” Hilton said.
“Now that is corruption,” he added. “That is bullying and intimidation.”
“The whole regime in California is corrupt and useless, and that’s why I’m very confident we’re going to kick them out this year,” he said.
Hilton emphasized the importance of Republican voters consolidating behind one candidate.
“I’m leading in the polls. I’m leading on fundraising by a lot,” Hilton said. “I’ve got the broad policy expertise, the business expertise, and experience — I think I’m the strongest candidate.”
He also criticized his opponent, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, for taking a knee in support of Black Lives Matter and being in favor of amnesty for illegal immigrants.
“He says he won’t cooperate with the Trump administration to enforce immigration law,” Hilton said. “Republicans don’t like that.”
